The Oakwood Beach Buyout Committee, was formed to facilitate the governmental acquisition of homes that existed on the day of Superstorm Sandy, in the Foxbeach section (“target area”) of the town of Oakwood Beach in Staten Island, NY. A purchase of this kind uses FEMA funds, as detailed by the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (“HMGP”), promulgated by Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended.

However, the governor of NY state quickly realized that the HMGP form of assistance would not work well in New York City. Therefore, having previously run HUD and being very familiar with the Community Development Block Grant program he channeled the buyout funds through this program instead. And this allowed participants to apply directly to the state, cutting years out of the buyout process.

The Committee had first hand knowledge of the perils of living in the target area well before the storm. The area was located in a natural area referred to as the blue belt that serves Staten Island as a storm water retention area. Most homes were bungalows originally constructed between 1930 – 1950, with several having large additions put on in the previous years. A 1992 ‘NorEaster first destroyed the berm and sea wall protecting the area, and caused flooding of 5-7 feet. Fires from tall grass phragmites that grow wild in the area, which are highly flammable, were a constant threat.

The target areas geographic location is bounded by Tarlton Street going west from the ocean front to Mill Rd, then north along the ocean side of Mill Road to Kissam Avenue, then going east back to the ocean front. Streets included in those boundaries are Promenade, Foxlane, Foxbeach, and Cedar Grove. There are 165 homes in the target area. Homes outside the target area may be included on a case by case basis so long that they are considered bordering on the blue belt section, as defined by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

The Committee directed its efforts by first educating local public officials as to the many reasons the target areas qualifies for the Program, and then helping officials facilitate the Program application process by communicating with residents and collecting information. Although the goal was to include all 165 homes (plus other eligible homes) the Committee realized that participation in HMGP is strictly voluntary and some homeowners, for whatever personal reasons, chose not to participate. Lastly, the Committee sought to collaborate with “Zone A New York”, a non-for-profit entity it helped form, whose mission statement included HMGP facilitation for the target area, and very importantly also included financial assistance for those residents who chose to participate.